9 Team-Building Activities & Advantages
Team-building activities are gaining popularity as nonprofits recognize the need to balance productivity with the mental well-being of staff.
Free Download: Team Building Cheat Sheet
As demand grows for employees seeking work-life balance, organizations are upping their game to attract quality candidates and keep existing employees from leaving. Adding team-building retreats to the organizational calendar benefits employee satisfaction and employer retention.
Team-building retreats centered on mental wellness bring numerous benefits to employees and organizations by nurturing individual and group well-being. Here are some key advantages:
Stress and Burnout Prevention
Retreats give employees time and tools to relax and recharge. Activities like the ones below help prevent burnout and equip employees to manage stress better, impacting your organization’s overall health.
Morale and Job Satisfaction
Providing employees with dedicated time for mental wellness demonstrates that the organization values their well-being. This acknowledgment boosts morale, improves job performance, and increases employee retention rates.
Improved Focus and Productivity
Employees who feel mentally refreshed are more focused, creative, and motivated. Retreats that offer team-building experiences improve efficiency and productivity back at work.
Long-Term Health Benefits
These retreats often incorporate healthy lifestyle practices like exercise, mindfulness, and balanced nutrition, which can also improve physical health. Mental and physical health improvements mean fewer sick days, lower healthcare costs, and sustained energy and engagement.
Strong Team Connections
Mental wellness retreats encourage open, authentic communication and foster empathy. They build trust among team members, creating a more vital, cohesive team dynamic that allows for more resiliency during challenging projects.
Positive Workplace Culture
Emphasizing mental wellness can shift workplace culture towards a more supportive, open, and empathetic environment. Employees in such workplaces are likelier to feel safe, respected, and encouraged to express themselves and seek support when needed.
Resilience and Adaptability
Mental wellness activities often help employees enhance their resiliency, helping employees manage setbacks and adapt to change. This adaptability is crucial for handling workplace pressures and navigating an ever-evolving work environment.
Skills for Life Beyond Work
The tools and techniques learned in these retreats, such as meditation, journaling, and emotional resilience, can benefit employees outside of work. This can help improve their work-life balance, leading to happier, more balanced team members.
Overall, wellness-focused retreats address mental health proactively, empowering employees to thrive and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
Nine Team-Building Activities
Guided Nature Retreats
Teams go on a nature retreat, where activities like forest bathing, mindful hiking, and guided nature walks with pauses for journaling are incorporated into some group activities.
RESULTS
Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress and increase creativity, which enhances problem-solving skills. Time for reflection helps employees translate these experiences into insights for their work and teamwork.
2. Mindful Storytelling Circles
Using storytelling prompts, team members share stories or insights related to work, life, and values in a structured, mindful way.
RESULTS
Storytelling builds empathy and trust, encouraging more profound compassion for self and others. When group sharing is practiced, teams learn to function better together.
3. Silent Collaboration Challenges
Teams are given challenges to complete without speaking, such as building something together or solving a puzzle. They are encouraged to communicate through gestures, writing, or non-verbal cues.
RESULTS
This activity builds awareness of non-verbal communication and encourages mindful, intentional interactions. With a spirit of lightheartedness, this can help teams learn to work together in new ways.
4. Meditation and Gratitude Practices
Guided group meditation sessions, followed by a gratitude circle where team members share what they appreciate about each other or recent work achievements.
RESULTS
Meditation helps the team by allowing them to experience a body-centered experience. Expressing gratitude boosts morale and reinforces positive connections.
5. Vision Mapping and Purpose Alignment
Teams work together on a vision board or purpose map to align individual and collective goals. This exercise often includes reflective journaling and group discussion.
RESULTS
Aligning purpose connects personal motivations to the team’s mission, enhancing commitment and understanding within the group.
6. Walking and Reflective Talking Pairs
Team members are paired up and take turns sharing while walking together, with one person talking and the other practicing mindful listening. It may be helpful to offer some talking prompts, such as: Who has had the most impactful work-related experience in your life? Or: What is your work-related superpower, and how has it helped you?
RESULTS
Combining physical activity, being outdoors, and one-on-one attention promotes open communication and helps build trust.
7. Artistic Expression
This activity includes painting, clay work, or collaborative art, often guided by prompts about the team’s goals or experiences. Afterward, there is a reflection session.
RESULTS
Art is a powerful tool for expressing ideas and emotions; reflecting together helps everyone understand different perspectives.
8. Problem Solving through “Mindful Inquiry”
Teams identify a challenge and work through it using a structured, mindful inquiry process emphasizing open-mindedness, active listening, and non-judgmental discussion.
RESULTS
This method allows teams to approach problems thoughtfully and with more creative solutions, as each member’s input is valued and reflected upon.
9. Team Check-Ins
Teams regularly gather for open check-ins where each person shares their current state (e.g., their stress level or excitement about a project) without feedback or solutions offered.
RESULTS
These check-ins foster mutual understanding and remind team members that a supportive team culture is valued.
These team-building activities can refresh, bond, and re-energize a team by slowing down the pace and encouraging meaningful connections.
Don’t forget to download a free Team-Building Cheat Sheet
If you have questions about booking a Team-Building retreat at one of our locations, please contact us at 800-678-5102 or Reservations.
Facilities that specialize in hosting your organizations team-building retreat:
FEATURED FACILTY
Highlands Camp & Retreat Center
